The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-07-22
AN AWFUL CATASTROPHE.
Collision of an Excursion and an Oil
Train--The Oil Catches Fire and
Terrible Loss Of Life Follows.

ST. THOMAS, Ont, July l6.-A terrible
accident occurred at the crossing of the
Grand Trunk and the Michigan Central
railroad, in this city, about Z O'Clock last
evening. An excursion train on the
Grand Trunk from Port Stanley ran into
Central, made up of number of cars
laden with oil. The engine crashed in
to one of these cars, when the oil in
stantly took fire and burned with great
fierceness, communicating to the cars on
both trains, and extending to Grifiin's
warehouse, coal and lime sheds adjoin-
ing the track on the west, and John
Campbell's dwelling on the east, all of
which were burned to the ground with
their contents. Engineer Donnelly of
the excursion train was buried in the
wreck. His fireman jumped and es-
capped with slight injuries. The forward
car of the excursion train was filed with
passengers, who made frantic efforts to
escape; but, notwithstanding hundreds
of brave and willing hands were imme-
diately at work to assist in their rescue,
number of lives were lost, and at 8
o'clock when thousands of people were
crowding around the burning pile, one
of the oil tanks on the ears suddenly ex-
plOded, throwing hundreds to the
ground with great force, and scattering
fire in all directions, and fatally injuring
many. At $50 o'clock nine bodies were
taken out. They were burned to a
crisp.
LATER DETAILS.
ST. THOMAS, Ont, July 16.-Careful
estimates place the number of killed at
10, and injured at about forty in the
railroad accident last evening. When
the collision occurred the passengers
commenced emerging from the Car
windows, every visible means of egress
being taken advantage of, and the ma
jority of the passengers in the car next
to the engine were gotten out. En-
gineer Donneliy was found in the cab
with his hand on the lever still, as if en-
deavoEing to make the air brakes work.
To add additional horror to an already
sufficiently appalling affair, section of
a freight train into which the engine of
the passenger train ploughed, consisting
of two cars containing tanks filed with
crude oil and car loaded with bar
rels of refined oil and almost
before the passengers heard the crash
of the collision there was tremendous
explosion, which could be heard for
miles. A pyramid of red clouds and
black smoke lowered up in the air, and
in moment sheets of fire reached out
and enveloped the cars, dwellings and
warehouses in the vicinity. The burn
ing oil scattered around in all directions,
setting fire to Grifin's coal and sales
warehouse and j. l.. .Campbell's dwell
ing and watch house, and other struct-
ures in the vicinity, destroying all of
these and causing loss of about $780,
600. Herman Honsford, of the fire de-
partment, was literally encIrcled by a
volume of fire, and when the smoke
cleared away it was seen that he was
covered with flames. His injuries are
of horrible nature and he cannot re-
cover. Chief Wallisurn was seriously
burned about the head and face. w.
j. LETTERS was burned on the face and
hands; Nelson Galley, burned on the
ears and head; p. Rath, badly burned
on the face and arms; Ed Moor, burned
on the face and hands; Engineer Joyce,
of the Grand Trunk road. was mass of
flames. His clothing was stripped from
his body by willing hands and he was
taken home in a cab. The S-year-old son
of HI. A. Cutely was burned and cannot
live. Among the others burned were
Thomas Johnston, Thomas Doherty, ID.
NJ. Cullum, Martha Lamery, Frank
Owen, Charles Dake, Jackman and
scores of others, many of them fatally.
A. Francis, L. S. Consul, was struck by
hose reel and terribly injured. His
recovery is doubtful. The bodies that
were among the first to be recognized
were those of II. Donnelly, engineer of
the excursion tram, J. Smither's wife
and daughter, and A. Zealind and daugh-
for